Letters to the Editor | Dec. 10, 2025

On March 23, 1933, the Nazis passed the Enabling Act, which allowed Adolf Hitler and his cabinet to pass any laws — without approval from the Reichstag — even if they were unconstitutional. The Trump administration is effectively doing the same thing by ignoring court orders, disappearing people based on how they look without regard to their citizenship or legal status to reside here, and blowing them out of the water with impunity. Now the U.S. Supreme Court “shadow docket” is allowing racial gerrymandering to try to steal the 2026 midterms. If this is not fascism, it is certainly not democracy.

James Hohmann, Langhorne

What has happened to the United States of America? Have we become so inured to the craziness of President Donald Trump that we barely seem to bat an eye while the situations and pronouncements become more and more bizarre and evil? Yes, evil. What else can you call what is happening all around us? The bombing of reputed drug smugglers at sea was terrifying. Planes swooping down and obliterating the boats and crew. Now we find out we murdered the survivors. What we did was a war crime. America does not do that, do we? If that news did not shake you to your emotional core, President Trump called the people of Somalia “garbage“ and wants them all out of the country. Where is the moral outrage? Where are we Americans standing up to protect other Americans? Have we become so used to Trump that we accept evil behavior as normal? His behavior, his deputies’ behavior, is not normal; it is not OK. None of it — the drug boat bombings, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, the racism — none of it is normal, and “We the People “ must stand against it.

Sheryl Kalick, Philadelphia

The use of the term minorities regarding the gerrymandering of congressional maps in Texas seems inaccurate. A slightly larger number of Texans identify as Hispanic than those who say they are not. And while voters in Texas do not register by party, more Texans choose to participate in primaries as Democrats than as Republicans. In Texas, gerrymandering may be more accurately described as an increasingly extreme attempt to impose the will of a minority on the majority. And that is true regardless of whether the U.S. Supreme Court sees the motivation as racial or political.

Kris J. Kolo, Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s workers deserve the chance to build real financial security, and I appreciate The Inquirer’s recent coverage of the city’s retirement savings proposal. Too many Philadelphians go their entire careers without access to a basic plan. That gap leaves families vulnerable, and it places additional strain on our social safety net.

The goal of PhillySaves is simple. It makes it easier for employees who want to save and avoids adding new burdens for small businesses that already manage enough responsibilities. There are no employer fees and no complicated reporting. Just an easy, portable option that follows workers from job to job.

Before joining City Council, I worked in Harrisburg as a state representative on retirement security issues and legislation. I saw how many Pennsylvanians age into poverty without access to a plan. PhillySaves reflects that experience and the importance of helping workers save steadily.

Council President Kenyatta Johnson has been clear that improving economic stability for working people is a priority for this Council. PhillySaves is one part of that broader effort. It will not solve every challenge, but it gives thousands of residents a fair chance to start building long-term savings.

Mike Driscoll, 6th District, Philadelphia City Council

The Democratic Party is a rudderless ship. Its irrational opposition to President Donald Trump has caused it to lose its moral compass and common sense. It no longer works in the best interest of the American people. Its misguided effort at “leverage” betrayed the trust of its constituents and caused unnecessary pain for many. It focused on extending subsidies to the ironically named Affordable Care Act while ignoring the hundreds of billions of dollars in additional spending that it attached to its proposal. Using that time to explore viable alternatives for affordable healthcare would have served everyone better. Extending subsidies implemented during the pandemic is throwing good money after bad.

Democrats pontificated that nobody was above the law while stressing the importance of upholding the rule of law. For years, they ignored immigration laws and allowed millions to cross our borders. They now demonize law enforcement and encourage active resistance when enforcing those same laws. Anyone who crosses the border illegally has broken federal law and is subject to deportation. Democrats are more concerned with the plight of illegal immigrants than the safety of the American citizens they are sworn to protect. They show little sympathy for victims of crime committed by many of those same people whom they failed to vet.

Now, Democratic lawmakers are “reminding” armed service members that they do not need to obey illegal orders. Without examples, their goal is to foment division and instability in our government. If national security is at risk or any lives are lost, those lawmakers have opened themselves up to prosecution. These stunts do nothing to move our country forward. Imagine the reaction if GOP lawmakers made a similar statement during the Biden years.

It is very difficult to understand what Democrats actually stand for. It is painfully obvious what they are against.

Mark Fenstemaker, Warminster, markfense@gmail.com

America is losing the trade wars because the president does not understand trade. While Donald Trump believes trade involves only manufacturing, which contributes about 10% of our economic output, he overlooks the service economy, which includes education and tourism. Trump’s tariffs-based trade war might have made sense in the 1960s, but it is out of step with the current world economy and is helping to fuel our affordability problems.

The current CEOs of Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), and Nvidia, three of America’s biggest and most innovative companies, were educated here but born overseas. Education is one of America’s leading exports and helps contribute to our prosperity, but the administration devalues it and attacks and extorts our most prestigious universities. When Trump attacks Canada and other countries that contribute to American tourism, many of our destination areas, like the Jersey Shore, are diminished.

Trump’s worldview is that all confrontations can be won and all collaboration is defeat. History has proven he’s wrong.

Elliott Miller, Bala Cynwyd

As he was sworn in just two days after his slim victory in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Republican Matt Van Epps said, “I come to this body as a Christian.” He has also pledged himself to be firmly devoted to Donald Trump and his agenda. How does Rep. Van Epps square the two?

Trump has expectorated upon the tenets of every religion. He is a thug, a bigot, and the most corrupt president ever to serve, enriching himself and his family of grifters to the tune of billions of dollars. He seeks to divide and conquer, and has clearly expressed his hatred and contempt for those who oppose him, embarking upon a campaign of revenge against them. He has contempt for people of color and immigrants, as he seeks to welcome only white people who seek to live here.

Can Christian Rep. Epps cite any facet of his faith that is modeled by the president to whom he is so devoted? The question is rhetorical.

Oren Spiegler, Peters Township

I retired in 1999 after 31 years of teaching in Philadelphia. In 2003, I applied for a mortgage with several local banks. None of them would give me a mortgage based on my retirement income, despite my good credit rating. In the last two years, my prescription plan cost has gone up 60%. My wife’s prescription premium for 2026 has increased by 400%. Other costs have increased dramatically, as well. My retirement income is still the same as it was in 2003.

I read in The Inquirer that Pennsylvania state legislators received a 3.25% cost-of-living raise, and that cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, each year are mandated for them. I know that eventually the state will give Pennsylvania teachers a COLA. I would prefer to get mine before I die.

Mitchell Bernstein, Philadelphia

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